O R D E R

The present Writ Petition is heard through Video Conferencing today.

2. For the delinquency that occured during the evaluation of the answers script for the March 2019 examination in regard to the difference of 10 marks with respect of one paper, the petitioner herein was levelled with the charges under 17(a) of the Tamil Nadu Civil Services (Discipline & Appeal) Rules (hereinafter referred to as the 'Rules') on 22.08.2019. Pursuant to the petitioner's explanation, the petitioner was imposed with the punishment of stoppage of increment for a period of one year with cumulative effect through an order dated 04.11.2019. The present Writ Petition has been filed, challenging the subsequent charge memo dated 29.09.2020, wherein the respondents had invoked Rule 17(b) of the Rules for the very same set of charges for which the petitioner was earlier imposed with a punishment on 04.11.2019.

3. The learned counsel for the petitioner produced the copy of the proceedings of the Chief Educational Officer, Vellore District in Mu.Mu.No.3873/A3/2020 dated 20.11.2020, wherein one of the co- delinquent namely, C.Sarathy Verman, who is also similarly placed as that of the petitioner herein an